Hello,

I am hoping to raise money for Hospice UK and any donation however big or small will be greatly appreciated, as I hold this charity close to my heart.

I decided to enter to run in the London Marathon October 2022. Yes I know, spur of the moment and it may seem like I’m crazy, but I have always run for fitness/fun, just haven't quite managed a marathon as of yet, so here I go... ha-ha, wish me luck!

I applied to run the London Marathon for a charity and I feel honoured to be given a charity space to raise money and represent the Hospice UK. There are many reasons to why I have chosen the Hospice UK amongst a selection of other amazing charities. There is however one main reason why, and this is it....

Many of my family and friends reading this will more than likely have crossed paths or been inspired by my grandad, or as we called him 'G-Joe'. Whether this is through stories they have heard about him, been lucky enough to be graced by his ways, or being honoured to have had one of his special kisses on their heads, something me, my brothers and sisters got every time he said goodbye. Oh how I'd give anything for one of those kisses again!  He was our amazing, one and only Grandad Joe, he was our whole world and meant everything to me and my family. 

My G-Joe was the only man who had been in my life and stuck by my side since the day I was born. He was always there, always involved in all aspects of my life: work, having children, getting married, buying houses & moving to another country. Sadly, in 2020
he passed away, due to a respiratory health condition and this left an empty space within our family which can never be filled. 

My G-Joe was selfless, always putting others first, he thrived on everyone else’s happiness and he brushed everything off with his wicked sense of humour.  He was fiercely independent and this is something that remained until he sadly passed away. G-Joe lived on his own up until the last few weeks of his life when my mum persuaded him to come and live with her, but believe you me, it took a lot of persuading.

None of us including G-Joe were aware of nor prepared for how quickly he would deteriorate, it felt like I closed my eyes, opened them and that was it - the end. In the final days before his passing, there was a room ready for him at our local hospice but he decided
to stay at my mum's house. We received all of the equipment he required so he could be cared for comfortably in his final days at my mums. This was all made possible by the support and efforts of the local HAVEN team, community nurses, emergency services and hospital staff, who all work in partnership with the local Hospice. They laughed and joked with our G-Joe (he was a big joker and had the best sense of humour). They showed so much compassion,
kindness and empathy to us all when we needed it most, and understood how much we were all hurting.

Our local Hospice UK - St Andrews Hospice, is greatly appreciated and highly recognised by the local community in Grimsby. Our own experience confirmed that anything that we needed to ensure G-Joe's final days were as comfortable and as pain-free as possible was made possible by the hospice team, who were always on hand to support us, for which we will be forever grateful.

 I know G-Joe would be super proud of me for doing this, and he would definitely say ‘rather you than me running Clarise’. No matter what, he would support me every step of the way and if he was still here, he would 100% be at that finishing line waiting for me.

I know it's going to be hard work, but I already feel it is worth every step. So, every single donation however big or small helps a worthy cause which I'm proud to represent. I am unbelievably grateful for your support to help me reach my target.

Thank-you very much!